Sleepy Hollow: Sleepy Holloween Tribute

Sleepy Hollow: Ichabod and Abbie "Believe In Me"

Here's my latest Ichabbie video- be sure to watch Sleepy Hollow Thursdays 9p on FOX! This week is the big Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover, begins at 8p! Ichabod and Abbie seek Brennan's authorization to release skeletal remains of a headless corpse they believe may belong to Abraham Van Brundt!  Don't miss the brainiacs Crane and Brennan (aka) Crennan, go toe to toe- it's epic!  Then stick around for Sleepy Hollow as our fab foursome- Ichabod, Abbie, Booth and Brennan are trapped after finding a location with historical significance! Also join us on twitter as we trend #HollowBones 8-9pET and #Abeyonce during 9-10p in honor of Abbie's kick ass costume as Beyonce!

Exclusive Interview: 'Z Nation' Star Keith Allan Talks Life in the World of Zombies

It's no secret that stories of zombies and the undead have been around since the 1950's, giving fans of the genre more than just brains to gnaw on! At the turn of the century, zombie stories continued to gain enormous popularity, infiltrating comic books, graphic novels, television and movies like never before.  With biological weapons a reality, there is fear that one day we could all succumb to a zombie virus or be left behind to survive like on The Walking Dead or World of Z. 

One show that is a little different than the rest is Syfy's Z Nation, which has become one of the network's biggest successes.  I had the privilege of chatting with one of the stars of the series, Keith Allan (Murphy), who took time out of his busy schedule to talk about the show and his character.

If you haven't watched Z Nation before, a little background...

It's been three years since the Zombie Apocalypse began via a virus and most of humanity has been snuffed out!  Murphy, a prisoner, is injected with an experimental cure to the zombie condition- he survives! After the prison is infiltrated by zombies, Murphy and several others escape. However, he finds himself a prisoner once again, with a band of humans who want to take him to a functioning lab in California who will use his blood to create the cure. After surviving a heinous zombie attack, Murphy is actually part of the zombie species now, so has empathy and a whole new outlook on humanity- does he want to save them? It all remains to be seen.

Murphy has been described as an anti-hero and villain, though he's been willing (to a certain extent) to help humans create the cure from his blood. Allan explains Murphy's point of view, that although he's in prison for a white-collar crime, he's used as a lab rat, then he ends up in the hands of humans that just want his blood for a cure, "he's over it!  He can only take that kind of crap for so long before starting to resent people."  Now we've seen Murphy's got more power, more strength and the tables are turned where he can sort of take charge over the humans. "He's a little over being everyone's bitch.  They can't just push me around so I think he's a little drunk with power now", adds Allan.

Interestingly, in "Batch 47", we see Murphy literally able to stare down a pot zombie, making him back down away from them.  He's definitely a part of their species now.  "He does have some weird compassion for these zombies.  He can see their vulnerability and they are basically judged, killed without asking deeper questions. [They're] basically treated like meat and the only thing [people] want to know is where to hit them in the head to kill them.  He's part of that species now and has been treated like them for so long, treated as less than and he's sick and tired of it", Allan discloses.  He adds that the compassion Murphy has for these monsters, surprises him and he is sort of seeing them in a new light.

Now that Murphy does seem to have more power, plus is not human but part of the zombie species, will he turn on humanity?  Allan says it's a possibility and mentions the speech Murphy gives at the beginning of season two, that maybe being human isn't the best thing.  "Maybe being a vindictive, spiteful, violent human being isn't any better" than his species.  In Murphy's mind, his trust and faith in humanity is on shaky ground, especially after being tied up, imprisoned by his best friend, someone he was closest to.   "Kind of all bets are off in his alliance to these people", Allan adds. He explains that although Murphy feels a kinship with the people he's been with the last two years, he's sort of playing a game.  "He's really having to play his hand close to his chest and not let them know what he's thinking, because again, he's a prisoner or they think he is."

I'd say Murphy is one of the most complex characters within this genre, as he is not human, but a hybrid (at this point) which is something that happened out of his control.  One of the great things about a cable network versus network television, is the fact that sometimes the actors are able to collaborate with the writers in developing their characters.  Allan, as well as other cast members, were given the chance to sit down with writers as they began to map out season two.

"They brought each one of us separately into the writers room and we had an afternoon where we threw out ideas, things we'd like to see happen. They're really great in being very collaborative and really want to hear our  opinions, what we'd like to see happen in the show."  Of course he quickly adds this doesn't mean all their ideas are used, but he feels from a creative standpoint, it gives the

writers a better idea of what the actors are envisioning.  "They know we have a strong sense of who these characters are.  It's a really great thing to know that you're involved in the collaborative to build this character."  Even as scripts come out, if there is something Allan might think Murphy wouldn't say or do, the writers are very approachable and are willing to listen.  "It's a good testament to how collaborative the show is."

In my opinion, cable networks have more of a creative and collaborative nature than network television, which I feel makes a big difference.  Especially when you see shows like The Walking Dead, on AMC, who is willing to go way outside the box creatively.  Although Z Nation has been compared to TWD, it's definitely got a much lighter vibe to it.  Allan agrees, "We're doing something new. What we're creating with Murphy is a character we haven't seen before."  Although Z Nation has a much lower production budget than something like TWD, it's about the characters and quality of writing, which Z Nation has in spades.  "We are putting the fun back into the genre, which is one thing Z Nation doing really right, making that balance between humor, war and drama. We are able to play on all those fields really well."  While there are some moments that can be a little ridiculous, (I mean come on, a pot farm overrun by pot zombies? Really?) the fact that the characters are based in reality, that are kept real, is the difference.  "I think it keeps situations from going campy but is still fun for the audience. We have scenes that are slightly over the top, but then bring it back to a really serious scene.  That's my favorite kind of horror- you're laughing then screaming, rooting for him at the same time."

While shows like Z Nation can take its toll on the audience, as emotions run the gambit from humorous to serious to fearful, the same can be said for the actors.  One of the toughest scenes for Allan was during season one's deeply disturbing moment when Murphy's hair began to fall out, looking in the mirror and the realization of what he may become- a monster.  Sometimes during production, scenes are rushed for the sake of time, however Allan spoke to the producers and asked that they let him take his time.  Then he worked with the Director of Photography on ideas for shots, the angles, magnifying mirrors, warping the images, etc...

In my opinion, it's such a defining moment for Murphy, as well as within the series, as he catches a glimpse of who he is now.  Allan talks about preparing to shoot the scene. "It's about an emotion you are trying to convey, about the fear of what's happening to you. It was a great scene, one of those you have to 'go there'.  What would I do if this were really me and I saw my skin was rotting off, how would that be?"  I think Allan was incredible and the audience could not only feel his pain, anguish and fear as to what the future will hold for him, but also see it in his eyes as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.  It ends up being a very compelling, heartbreaking moment in the series.

In the beginning of the series, Allan describes Murphy was weak, timid and fragile, being told by others what to do.  However, now that Murphy appears to be in a power position, of the zombie species and no longer part of the human race, where would Allan like to see him go from here?  He'd love to see him in a really strong power position over the human race.  "I'd like him to be where he is in position to sort of take vengeance on the human race.  I think the audience would be on his side because they've seen the way he's been treated and how people are really looking out for their own interests."  He adds he'd like "to see him very powerful and strong and kind of unforgiving."  This would bring his character full circle from when we first meet Murphy.

Allan laughs as he thinks back to shooting the zombie attack at the prison, then reveals he actually blacked out filming that scene!  He describes the straps holding him down to the table were really tight and he told the director he would only be able to do maybe 3-4 takes before his voice gave out from screaming. "The director said "go!" and zombies are biting me and I'm screaming and screaming."  They continuously filmed to ensure they had enough and when they stopped, "I kind of passed out!" Talk about the hazards of being on a show about the zombie apocalypse! Now that's dedication!

Of course on a show like this where the cast and crew put in long hours, there have to been some funny behind-the-scenes moments.  Allan laughs as he recalls a scene that hasn't aired yet.  He explains that Russell Hodgkinson who plays Doc, is supposed to get into a canoe and row away.  Apparently Russell made a running jump into the canoe, which capsized it, dumping him into the water!  Allan says he was watching the whole thing and couldn't stop laughing! Russell was a little upset as he came out looking like a soaked rat!  Hopefully it will be on the S2 DVD (hint hint).

In being such a huge fan of zombie-type television and movies, for me I like the fact everyone bans together, is united working just to stay alive. Whether it's Rick and his crew trying to make a life in Alexandria or Brad Pitt trying to save his family, it's about surviving.  This genre has become so popular, why does Allan think we are fascinated at the possibility of a Zombie Apocalypse?  "I think there's something inherent in human beings wanting to have common enemy. Within the human race we all have differences with people for various reasons, politics, religion, etc... but zombies is one enemy we can all agree on.  It levels the playing field because we all have to fight together. It's us against them." 

Some fans of Z Nation may not know that Allan is also a writer, director, producer and has a multitude of projects he's working on.  One he's very excited about is trying to get a play he did in Los Angeles made into a film.  He and Z Nation director Alexander Yellen actually produced a seven-minute trailer to hopefully reel in a company interested in making the movie. "It's a graphic novel, dark comedy, crime-fighter super villain piece and it's a lot of fun and I'm really proud of it. I love superhero stuff and this piece has a nice balance of comedy/violence/graphic novel style so hopefully we can make it happen."

Finding out that he loves superheroes, I had to ask who his favorites are and I wasn't too surprised when he said Batman and Spiderman.  He loved Guardians of the Galaxy, Watchmen, "I really enjoy them all, also anything with robots."  Interesting! Since he's a Batman fanatic I asked if he has watched Gotham.  Unfortunately he hasn't had time but hopes to do catch up once his schedule permits.

Allan is really excited about the rest of season two and says he thinks fans will like where Murphy is going.  He also had a message for Z Nation fans, "Thank you for your support.  I really love that our audience is really digging the show and getting to love what we do."

In my opinion, Allan's character Murphy is one of the most unique within the genre, a true hero in the making and his portrayal is brilliant.  Although Murphy is considered a villain to humans, Allan gives the audience a reason to like the character, to understand where he's coming from, and want to root for him despite how he may end up taking down humanity for good! If you are a fan of the Zombie Apocalypse craze or just a fan of really tortured, layered characters and good writing, Z Nation is a must see!

Be sure to catch Z Nation on Syfy, Fridays at  10p/9c. Next episode, October 16: "Zombie Baby Daddy". Catch up on the entire season on Syfy. Follow Z Nation on twitter: @znation

Find more about Keith Allan and his upcoming projects on his website. follow on twitter: @KeithAllanDuh

Buy Z Nation S1 and S2 on Amazon.

Interview: 'The Vampire Diaries'- New Vamp Jaiden Kaine, Set To Hit Mystic Falls With A Vengence

I've been watching The Vampire Diaries since the beginning and have enjoyed the story about the

Salvatore brothers, their history and of course, love for Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev).  It was a hard blow learning that Nina was leaving the show since she, as well as Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore) and Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore) have been billed together the entire series.  A new chapter is coming, in the form of the Salvatore's mother Lily (Annie Wershing) and her "family" brought through time to Mystic Falls.

When we left off, it had been a year since Elena was tucked away in a deep slumber for the next fifty years.  Matt (Zach Roering) is now the Sheriff of Mystic Falls that looks like it was hit with a nuclear bomb!  What happened?  According to what Producer/Writer Caroline Dries told me during the San Diego Comic-Con press room, we'll see everything unfold with three timelines, going between- past, present and future.  We'll learn exactly how Lily's posse were responsible for the destruction and the state of things now.  Sorry Klaroline (smush name for Klaus and Caroline) fans, there are no plans at this time for any type of crossover between The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, nor does she confirm this to be TVD's final season.

Somerhalder indicated during press room that the show is focusing back on the Salvatore brothers and yes Bamon fans, he's excited to see where things go with Damon and Bonnie (Kat Graham)!  He loves working with her.  It was great chatting with Candace Accola (Caroline) during the press room.  Though last we saw Stefan said he'd wait for her however long it takes, apparently it could be awhile for her to go back into the throws of couple-dom.  Candace said, "Caroline is going to be focusing mostly on herself, what she wants to do with her life, how to move past losing her mother.  It's great that Stefan has finally turned her way."   Although some like Caroline's banter with Enzo (Michael Malarkey), Candace doesn't feel there will ever be anything romantic with him.  If you're a Steroline (smush name for Stefan and Caroline) fan, that's good news! 

With so many changes this season, I must say I was a little nervous.  However, after speaking with the newest vamp in town Jaiden Kaine, I felt much better.  He was gracious enough to take the time to chat with me about his role within Lily's posse.

Ever since Lily made herself known to her sons, the sh** has been hitting the fan.  Sounds like her clan will cause a lot of upheaval this season.  Kaine plays "Bo", one of Lily's extended family brought forth into the 21st century.  But he is much more than just a vampire- he's hybrid of a vampire-witch who is "very powerful with special powers" that we'll learn more about as the season unfolds, Kaine reveals.  He will have quite a bit of interaction with our girl Caroline, who is very leery of him, fearful there is much more to Bo than meets the eye.  "Caroline is extremely worried about us and she doesn't really worry about anything, but she is where Bo is concerned.  She has reason to be", Kaine adds.  As Caroline sounds the alarm, our resident witch Bonnie (Kat Graham) "will be prevalent in the storyline this season", Kaine reports.

One of the things I'm hoping is that Matt gets a storyline.  He's been sort of sidelined now that Jeremy (Steve McQueen) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) are doing their own thing, but now that he's the Sheriff, I can see possibilities opening up for him.  According to Kaine, we will see some different things with Matt.  "He has a lot to say and [we'll] make some discoveries about him that [we] weren't aware of where Matt is concerned". 

It was a heartbreaking moment as we watched our "Delena" (smush name for Damon and Elena) dance their last dance for the next fifty years.  Kaine promises she will still be very much a part of the story.  "Elena plays a part in the storyline", Kaine carefully affirms.  Although Elena isn't present, she's prevalent, especially "where Damon is concerned.  His motivation is because she isn't there and [he's] trying to keep her memory alive."

As a huge fan of the show, I had to ask what life is like on set.  Kaine describes everyone is family on set, everyone is a class act, very professional.  "Ian's the craziest on set. Very bubbly, very gregarious, likes to kid around, super talented and very nuanced in everything he does. Even when he's not working, his mind is on it."  In meeting Somerhalder myself, I feel he's very airy, down-to-earth, which Kaine agrees is a perfect critique of him.  "He's under the guise of being airy but he knows exactly what he wants. He's very unpretentious, very matter of fact."

In contrast, Paul Wesley is very serious on set.  "He comes in, knows his script" but doesn't joke around much and sort of keeps to himself.  I find this interesting since the Salvatore brothers are as different as night and day from each other.  Somerhalder's and Wesley's real-life personalities apparently bleed through into their characters as well.

I was thrilled to see Annie Wershing (24) cast as Lily because she's such a fantastic actress.  What is it like working with her and the cast?  Kaine said he loves working with Annie.  "Her acting style reminds me of Julianna Margulies from the The Good Wife.  She's a minimalist, very professional, really loving, loves taking a lot of pictures, wise beyond her years."  He describes that even off set "she's like the cool mom. The mom most of us wish we had."  In watching her work, Kaine said it is amazing, as is working with the regular cast.  "Everyone plays off one another and everyone has their strengths."  He likens it to a dance and the show a Matisse.   "Every actor on this show provides a different color, each color is important, and the dance we do coincides with the others, but has to be different and we all have our place", he explains.

What was it about the show that spoke to him, made him want to be a part of it?  Kaine says for him, it kind of reminded him of Interview with a Vampire because of the sexiness it has.  He also praises the writing team and the story's unpredictability, "I really enjoyed the writing. [There are] tons of surprises.  I couldn't anticipate what was going on a lot of the times and that's what I felt was magic about this show."


Kaine is not a stranger to theatre or film as his father is a playwright. It's a little known fact that he was in the military for short time, serving our country as a member of "Blackwater" and got his start as a successful model for Calvin Klein. In 2013 he starred in Ridley Scott's Killing Lincoln and has had roles in various television shows, including Person of Interest, Believe and 30 Rock to name a few.  Interestingly he auditioned multiple times over a two-year period for The Vampire Diaries before landing the role of "Bo".  It wasn't until he got into the mind-set of really immersing himself into series, binge-watching it, seeing how the characters interact and the storyline that he finally won a role.

Kaine explains early on in life he realized how he learns- by watching people.  So in watching the series, he was able to see what he could do the next time he went in.  He talks about using "the actor's secret", which he describes is "something that is not written in the script that you provide for your
character, that bleeds thru in everything you do. The other actor doesn't know about it."  He originally auditioned to play a seer, a mystical fortune teller for a small dayplayer role.  "My actor's secret was that I was really a vampire, but [was] here under the guise of being a seer.  The casting director loved it."  Kaine was thrilled when his agent received a call to return, but for a bigger role.  They wanted to see what he would do with it.  Utilizing the same technique, Kaine was able to breathe life into the character and he won the role of "Bo".



Not only is he one of the major characters on The Vampire Diaries this season, he also plays Doctor Hughes in the big blockbuster movie with Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino and Josh Duhamel called Beyond Deceit, which is set to be released early next year.  Beyond Deceit is a murder mystery-thriller about a lawyer (Duhamel), whose boss (Pacino) assigns him a case to take down a crooked pharmaceutical executive (Hopkins).  Unfortunately, Duhamel’s character gets pulled into a murder investigation as a suspect! The movie created quite a buzz at the Cannes Film Festival in May, as one of the most anticipated films.  This is Shintaro Shimosawa’s (Writer, The Grudge, The Echo, The Grudge 2) debut as a director, as well as the first time Pacino and Hopkins have been together on screen.

Kaine describes Dr. Hughes is a forensics surgeon, who is "very very professional,though has some chemical dependency problems.  He really just delves into his work."  He's sort of the go-to doctor if you need a surgery done the right way.  Although he did not have any scenes with Hopkins, he worked very closely with Pacino, Duhamel and Malin Ackerman, who plays his nurse, Emily. She has some type of personal relationship with a sick patient.  "She's a little headstrong in our scenes, so her and I have a bittersweet relationship in the movie because I feel like she's trying to one-up me, but she has other motivations", Kaine explains.  "There's a lot more that she knows about what's going on. She's acting very inappropriately.  I'm the resident doctor-surgeon and I have the last word.  As far as I'm concerned, she really needs to fall back but she's not. So that creates a lot of tension, but in the end it all comes out why."

Kaine really enjoyed working with Duhamel, whom he describes as an "actor's actor, kind of like a James Franco. Always studying, always making discoveries. Just a real love to work with."

Of course I had to ask what working with Pacino was like and was surprised to learn he's very shy, even when people see him on the street and shout out "Attica", referencing his iconic role in Dog Day Afternoon.  Kaine says he learned the most from Pacino, specifically how to really create the environment your character is in.  "Watching Al, he's very internal, from what I was able to see, he works in pictures. Everything is a picture.  He can just be in a room running lines, but he literally sees everything that's going on in the scene.  He creates this whole environment [that] he envelopes himself in. I realized those are the most interesting auditions that I've ever submitted.  When I created this whole world before the first line is spoken. He is a master at that. He is the man when it comes to that. He's undeniably the person I learned the most from. Interestingly enough he's the most low key, very unpretentious.  That whole bad boys move in silence thing is truth!"

Whether he's playing a bad boy hit-man. vampire or an unaware surgeon, it's clear after talking to him that Kaine has a passion for acting and the art of telling a story.  He definitely has a bright future and I'm going to enjoy watching him continuing to rise to the top.

The Vampire Diaries returns Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 p.m. and The Originals follows at 9 p.m. on The CW.